Baby-walker



No Model.)

G. F. PACKARD.

BABY WALKER.

No. 572,613. Patented Deo. 8, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANVILLE F. PACKARD, OF FORT IVAYN'E, INDIANA.

BABY-WALKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,613, dated December 8, 1896.

Application filed May 21, 1896- Serial No. 592,397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE F. PAoK- ARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baby-Walkers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a baby-walker for the use of children while learning to walk; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a simple, safe, cheap, portable device which when not in use can be folded in a convenient form for placing in the closet or upon a shelf and that is light and portable and readily adjusted to the size and stature of the child. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying figure, which is a perspective view of the walker ready for use with a part of the waist-belt broken away to show the means of fastening it together and the brackets for the supporting-legs.

The numeral 1 indicates the waist-belt, made of harness -leather or other suitable flexible material, of a proper width and having its upper edge 2 turned or folded to form a rounded edge to prevent the belt from hurting or chafing the childs waist or arms. In the drawing the turned edge of the belt is broken away in front to show the fasteningstrap 3, which is secured to one end of the belt and adapted to be inserted in'the buckle at, secured to the other end of the belt, as shown. The turned edge of the belt is also broken away to show one of the metal brackets 5, having integral ears on each side, and which brackets are secured to the body of the belt by rivets or in any other equivalent manner.

6, 7, and 8 are legs made, preferably, of wood, having their upper ends curved outwardly and adapted to be pivotally secured within the ears of the brackets 5 by pivots 11, as shown, and their lower ends spread outwardly to secure a base-support.

9 represents ordinary casters secured upon the lower ends of the legs.

10 is a cord which is attached to the lower ends of the legs through perforations and looped about the leg as shown in the drawing or in any other suitable manner.

The cord 10 may be shortened by looping it about the legs and thereby lessening their spread to adjust the height of the waist-belt to the height of the child.

Instead of having the upper edge of the waist-belt rolled or turned exteriorly, as shown, it may be padded with any proper material, the purpose being, of course, to form an edge that the child can rest upon without chafing or hurting it. The legs being pivoted at their curved upper ends in the brackets 5 will freely move therein, so as to extend or contract their spread, thereby regulating the height of the waist-belt, and the adjustment of the cord 10 will secure them in the position desired.

Instead of turning or folding the upper edge of the waist-belt it may be padded without departing from the scope of my invention.

The mode of using my improvement is obviously very simple. The ends of the waistbelt being free, by detaching the strap 3 from the buckle the flexible belt can be adjusted about the waist of the child and the child secured therein by buckling the strap 3. The cord 10 is adjusted so as to give the legs the proper spread to elevate the Waist-belt to suit the height of the child. The child, supported by the waist-belt, has its feet free for locomotion, and the device moving freely upon its casters the child soon learns to use its feet and walk.

It is obvious that the number of the legs can be increased without departing from the conception of my invention, but it is believed that three are sufficient to prevent it from being overturned. hen not in use, it can be readily folded in a compact form and then occupies but very little space, and it is so light that it is very portable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A baby-walker comprising, an adjustable waist-belt of flexible material, having its upper edge turned or folded outwardly, and

its meeting ends secured by an adjustable strap and buckle, the brackets secured to the exterior of the waist-belt, the legs 6, 7 and 8 having their upward ends curved outwardly and pivotally attached in the brackets 5 by a rivet or bolt as shown, and having suitable casters upon their lower ends, and the cord 10 adapted to limit the outspreading of the legs and for adjustment of the height of the waist-belt as described and shown and for the purpose stated.

2. In a tripod baby-walker, a flexible waistbelt having proper means for adjustably securing its meeting ends and provided with a plurality of equidistant metallic brackets fixed thereto as shown, in combination with the supporting-legs pivotally mounted in said brackets as described, and the cord or cable uniting the lower ends of the said legs for the purpose specified and by Which the said belt may be vertically adjusted all substantially as described and shown and for the purpose stated.

Signed by me, at Fort Vayne, Indiana this 13th day of May, 1806.

GRANVILLE F. PACKARD.

Vitnesses:

KATE B. CHAPIN, JAMES H. PO\VER. 

